Chapter 31

"Hey, why don't I feel any changes?" Hao Ren pinched the muscles on his arm, realizing he hadn't become super strong or immune to pain. He even tried to summon a ball of lightning by focusing hard on a corner of the room, but nothing happened. In short, he still felt like an ordinary person. Maybe his regenerative abilities had been enhanced? Unfortunately, he couldn't bring himself to cut himself to test it...

"What other changes do you want?" Raven 12345, while following the manual to restore the adjustment chamber, replied without looking up, "Do you want to cast three fireballs right away?"

"Um, didn't we agree to give me some combat ability?" Hao Ren felt he had been deceived again by this unreliable female boss, "You put me with a bunch of superhumans who can kill with a wave of their hand, but you didn't give me any self-defense ability—what exactly did you adjust?"

"I adjusted your endocrine system, removed the scars on your elbows, and got rid of your white hair," Raven 12345 said seriously, "At least for now."

Hao Ren: "..."

"Ah ha, your expression is so interesting!" Raven 12345 seemed quite amused by Hao Ren's expression and held back her laughter for ten seconds before bursting out, "Don't think too much, and don't be too greedy. I know what you want. I've trained many newbies, and I'm a professional. In the first month, all you newbies think about is becoming a superhero. But think about it, if I really gave you such great abilities, or even just the ability to jump twenty meters, what would happen?"

Hao Ren thought for a moment and said uncertainly, "I wouldn't be afraid of the elevator breaking down? I could sign up to be Spider-Man's stunt double?"

Raven 12345 stared at Hao Ren, "You remind me of someone... but you're thinking too far ahead. If you were to become a superhero right away, the only result would be that you'd spend twenty hours a day crashing into walls or hanging from the ceiling. Physical enhancement is a gradual process—"

She patted Hao Ren's shoulder, "What you need has already been given to you, but it's temporarily locked by a mental suggestion program. It ensures you won't use abilities beyond your control. Experience more, do a few small tasks, and your body's potential will gradually unlock."

Hao Ren finally breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he hadn't been cheated, just that the payment was deferred. Raven 12345's explanation made sense: a human who had been bound by Earth's gravity for twenty-five years would find sudden superpowers anything but fun. A temporary safety lock was necessary.

Hao Ren was very aware of his personality: usually calm, but overly curious in special situations. If he really had superpowers, the first thing he'd do at home would be to touch the power outlet to test them...

"So, what exactly did you enhance in my body?" Hao Ren looked at Raven 12345 expectantly, "Is it okay to ask? I just want to have a general idea and some mental preparation."

Raven 12345 explained seriously this time, "Reaction speed, strength, recovery ability, adaptability to extreme environments, resistance to toxins, radiation, extreme temperatures, corrosion, and everything else that needs resistance. However, it's still an enhancement based on human capabilities. In the future, after you pass the exams, there will be other adjustment projects, but they have strict standards. Even after enhancement, you won't be allowed to use dangerous powers freely. You need to prove that your mind can handle the power of a superhero. You understand."

Hao Ren nodded and checked himself over. He felt confident he could pass the exams: he was a good person, after all. But as Raven 12345 said, everything would depend on actual performance. From today, his special career as a "Temporal Administration Bureau grassroots employee" would officially begin.

"Alright, the labor protection is provided, the new employee enhancement is done, and the rest of the employee guidelines you can learn at home. But remember the most important rule: don't reveal any information about the Temporal Administration Bureau to irrelevant people. This includes anyone except your tenants. Remember, anyone. Even your tenants shouldn't be told casually; just let them know why you're protecting them. They were chosen by me, but that doesn't mean they're part of the Temporal Administration Bureau, at least not yet. It's a delicate balance, and you need to handle it carefully."

Hao Ren looked at her in surprise, "Confidentiality rules? The Temporal Administration Bureau... according to you, it's an organization of 'gods.' Why are you afraid of people knowing about your existence? I thought gods were always very high-profile, wanting all of humanity to worship them and constantly working on religious expansion..."

"There are times for publicity, but only when necessary," Raven 12345 shook her head, "For the Temporal Administration Bureau, it's not necessary. Remember, the regions the Bureau deals with have their own development trajectories, and the local civilizations are evolving normally and independently. Even if we become gods, we can't arbitrarily interrupt the evolution of a normal civilization. Letting a group of intelligent beings suddenly know that there are super beings who can manipulate the constants of the universe, and that their entire world can be rewritten or deleted by 'gods,' would be almost a mental catastrophe for most civilizations. Of course, revealing the Temporal Administration Bureau won't have such severe consequences; most people won't believe you. But it's a matter of principle."

Hao Ren nodded, somewhat understanding, "I get it... but if that's the case, the Temporal Administration Bureau is actually a secret organization? Only you... and we know, no one else?"

"Not exactly. The macro-world's structure isn't static," Raven 12345 shook her head again, "The macro-world is a vast system established by His Majesty the Emperor, a virtual network connecting all universes within the empire's territory. This network grows every day, and the Temporal Administration Bureau is its control system. So, we encounter all kinds of situations. Sometimes a civilization or a group grows to the point where they can interact with the empire, or some regions face major disasters, forcing the Bureau to fully intervene. In such cases, we can't keep it a secret. After approval, the Bureau can reveal the empire's existence to a group, and that group is then officially accepted as part of the empire. But these matters are far from you—focus on your immediate responsibilities. To be honest, the current review process for new inspectors is already quite lenient. When the Bureau was first established, the empire's situation was unstable, and the confidentiality rules were much stricter. We used military standards for civilian departments, and any information leak was punishable by death. Now, the death penalty still exists, but as long as there are no real negative consequences, it's fine. You should be happy about that!"

Hao Ren broke out in a cold sweat, realizing the enormity and seriousness of the organization behind this seemingly casual female boss: they could casually mention the death penalty!

But he also saw a huge opportunity in Raven 12345's words: even though he still didn't fully understand the temporal network and the Temporal Administration Bureau, he could vaguely imagine the scale of this massive organization. He was now a part of it, and the planet, the solar system, and even the universe he knew were just a tiny speck in the vast "macro-world."

Just thinking about this, his motivation soared!

At this point, Raven 12345 had already packed up the equipment in the room and led Hao Ren out, "Don't think too much about it. The procedures you need to go through are done. I have a task for you."

Hao Ren perked up at this: the organization needed him!

"In a few days, you'll go to Europe," Raven 12345 said casually, "to pick up a new 'tenant.' I went through a lot of trouble to get him here, but he landed in the wrong time zone by eight hours! I won't handle such trivial matters myself; it's a good opportunity for you to gain some experience."